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Experience the history of the second of the famous debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. It was at this site on August 27, 1858 that the Freeport Doctrine, an import statement regarding slavery and state's rights, was proclaimed by Douglas. The site is self-interpretative through a series of waysides that tell of the events and ideas which led up to the debates, and also includes the life-size statues "Lincoln and Douglas in Debate" by artist Lily Tolpo. The park-like setting is complete with benches, lighting and spacious walks.

This residential district includes original Freeport and the city's first street, Monterey, and was later known as the "Gold Coast". Points of interest include Freeport's oldest house (built in 1838), the childhood home of famed Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parsons, a monument honoring Freeport's founder, William "Tutty" Baker, and the Van Buren Bridge, built in 1885 of wrought iron.

This monument honors William "Tutty" Baker, the founder of Freeport. Tutty came to this area, which was home to the Winnebago Indians, in 1835 and built a trading post along the banks of the Pecatonica River, offering travelers free ferry rides.

This museum, operated by the Stephenson County Antique Engine Club, which also operates the Silver Creek and Stephenson Railroad, offers 20 rooms of early Americana. Exhibts include 500 pieces of crockery, dolls, a recreated schoolroom and kitchen, art exhibits, quilts, tools and agricultural equipment, and many other historical exhibits. Also on the grounds is a display of antique machinery and an exhibit of Henny Motor Company vehicles which were manufactured in Freeport. Plus visitors can view the operating Cooper-Corliss engine, a giant 130-ton steam engine with a 25 foot flywheel which originally operated a rolling mill in a zinc plant. Special exhibits and events are featured throughout the year. Open: May thru October on selected holidays and weekends: 11 am - 4 pm.

The museum complex is situated on a 3-acre arboretum and includes: 1) An 1857 Italianate home built by Oscar Taylor. This home was the social center of early Freeport and may have been a stop on the Underground Railroad. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 2) The Millerburg schoolhouse, furnished to depict rural school life circa 1920. 3) The Industry Museum which highlights the rich manufacturing heritage of Stephenson County including the Henney Company, Stover, W.T. Rawleigh and more. 4) The Arcade Toy Museum which showcases the world’s largest exhibit of Arcade cast-iron toys made in Freeport by Arcade Manufacturing as well as other toys manufactured in Freeport including Structo and Realistic. 5) An authentic 1840s log cabin homestead built by Irish immigrants.
Open Wednesday thru Sunday, Noon to 4pm. Guided Tours only; last tour starts at 3pm. Group tours may be scheduled by appointment.
Adults $8
Children 6 and above $4

The Standish House B&B is owned and operated by a direct descendent of Miles Standish and is filled with antiques and collections of Early American history. You’ll enjoy canopy beds, sumptuous breakfasts and more. We’re only minutes from Lake Carroll and are located on a quiet residential street in the quaint community of Lanark.

Jane Addams, born and raised in Cedarville, was an internationally famous humanitarian and social work pioneer who founded Chicago's Hull House and won the Nobel Peace Prize. She is buried in this lovely old hillside cemetery.

The Civil War Soldiers Monument, on the southwest corner of the Stephenson County Courthouse, is inscribed with the names of those soldiers from Stephenson County who lost their lives in the Civil War. On the southeast corner is the Stephenson County Vietnam Era Veterans Memorial, which is a bronze statue of a full-sized M-16 with a bayonet stuck in the ground and a helmet on top.

The Barn at Allen Acres Wedding and Reception Venue sits on 3 and 1/2 acres just on the edge of town in Rock Falls IL. The property is surrounded by a cornfield and offers a serene tranquil destination for your wedding and reception. The property is less than a 5 minute drive to restaurants and hotels. The Dairy Barn was built in the 1920's and restored in 2011. It boasts a beautiful 26 foot vaulted ceiling in the upstairs haymow with some of its original architecture still intact. During the process of the restoration, reclaimed barn wood and reclaimed hardware were used whenever possible, maintaining the rustic feel of the Barn. We've added a 5 foot wide set of stairs leading to the upstairs space and a small deck with stairs, off of the back of the Barn, giving the bride a dramatic entrance down the aisle and to the alter. The upstairs haymow has a capacity of 150 people for a wedding ceremony. The downstairs area, where the dairy cows were kept, in the early years of the barn, also has a capacity for 150 people.

This natural history museum displays prairies, woodlands, wetlands and other interesting exhibits illustrating life as it existed hundreds of years ago in Northern Illinois. Be sure to make a stop at the museum gift shop.

Step back in time in the Loveland Museum and get a glimpse of Dixon and Lee County history. See exhibits from the life of "Father" John Dixon, the Blackhawk War, Civil War and other conflicts, local industry and attractions, the Truesdell Bridge disaster and President Ronald Reagan.

All aboard, as a 36-ton, 1912 Heisler steam locomotive pulls three cabooses, including an antique red caboose reported to be the oldest in the state, for a four-mile ride through farmlands. Purchase your ticket at the Silver Creek Depot, a turn-of-the-century replica filled with railroad artifacts, and browse the Freight House Gift Shop and visit the Silvercreek Museum across the street. Open: May thru October on selected holiday and weekends; 1 am - 4 pm. Train departs on the hour.

This famous statue was designed by Leonard Crunelle of Chicago, and was presented to Freeport at the 71st anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate on August 27, 1929, by local industrialist W. T. Rawleigh. It is located in Taylor Park.